A Lot Can Happen In 6 Months - A Letter Of Love And Learnings!
It’s Tuesday the 31st January 2023. The last day of the month, said to be the most difficult and depressing of them all. But I’m sitting on an 8:16am train to London Bridge and buzzing! Tuesdays are one of the days I come into the city to the place I now call ‘the office’. I mean… we actually have our own office (on Instagram locations and everything)! To me, January isn’t all that bad, and I guess it comes down to the way we look at things. I like to see it as an opportunity to start again, or to continue working towards something with a fresh perspective. So what’s not to love?
Speaking of love, I can’t believe it but it’s already been 6 months since I launched Nicky Affleck Consultancy limited. 6 months! And what a milestone birthday it is. There's been so much to celebrate: new clients, new team members, exciting collaborations all the way to podcast appearances!
The truth is, 5 years ago when I decided to give consulting a go, I didn’t have a very robust plan of action. What I did know (and I had that same feeling when I left South Africa) was that I wanted more. I knew I could be more and that I could really make a difference. But it’s only been in the last 6 months that I’ve got to know myself as a business entrepreneur. As a professional who has something to offer, and someone people want to work with. These last 6 months have taught me so much.
So in keeping with our #sharingthelove theme this February, this is me, sharing my journey and all the things I’ve learnt along the way. I hope it resonates with you!
Here are the top 10 things I have learnt over the past crazy (but fabulous) 6 months:
Heart Before Head You don’t always need a plan to start with. But you do need heart! Above all, just start!
Start With Why When you do start, make sure to always start with your “why” before your how or what. As Simon Sinek once said, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it”.
Do Things With Purpose There are a LOT of great people and organisations out there that come to work everyday with a purpose and want to make a difference. These are the kinds of people you should always keep close!
It’s OK To Not Know What To Do Or Say There are also a lot of people out there who don’t have the support and guidance they might need to really understand what they need to do next for their organisations or teams. Or how to have those difficult conversations. And that’s ok. There are others out there like me, that can support them in getting there.
Be Real Authenticity, empathy and relatability go a long way towards getting to know someone. To be honest, I believe in them so strongly that they’ve formed the very foundations of my business!
It’s OK Not To Know Everything You don’t have to know everything to be successful. But you do need to know what you’re good at and what someone else may be better at than you. And share that!
Imposter Syndrome Is Real Even as an entrepreneur starting out, or a fully fledged member of the team, imposter syndrome is everywhere. Putting yourself out there is scary. I say feel the fear, and do it anyway!
Brand Yourself Giving yourself a name, logo, colour, tag line, tone of voice … a BRAND is invaluable. It's what people recognise. It’s how people talk about you. It’s literally changed the way I do business! (More of this and what I hope to bring to the sector come Easter).
A Team Effort My team is made up of young ambitious and hard working women. I am so grateful for good talent and hard working people like them who do their bit in making this business a success. This type of integrity is not always guaranteed. When you find them, look after them!
Take A Deep Breath Every now and then take some time out. Take that long weekend. Hop on that flight. Lie on that beach. It’s so important to spend time doing the things (outside of work) that you love. It’s moments like those that give you time to pause and reflect. It gives you perspective! It’s where the magic really happens.
I’m so excited about the journey I, and we as a business are on. I’ve worked incredibly hard to get to this point but my goodness, am I proud and grateful. Thank you to everyone who has embraced Nicky Affleck Consultancy; who continue to support us, collaborate with us and recommend us to others.
So what’s next?
A sector filled with possibilities of making a real difference and an even better version of me both personally and professionally, and even bigger things for Nicky Affleck Consultancy.
I’m grateful for all the learning! And of course the love.
After all, you know what they say…“Love what you do and you’ll never have to work a day in your life!”
Nicky Affleck is an award-winning leader and consultant with repeated success in delivering purpose-driven strategies and delivering transformational change in the grassroots sport, youth, and not-for-profit sectors. She brings over 15 years of experience, and knowledge having led on high-profile social change programmes, sport for development initiatives and strategic growth programmes across London and the United Kingdom.
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